Jareth's Lament
by Deramis
Summary: After Sarah completes the Labyrinth and defeats Jareth, the Goblin King is feeling less than himself, and tries to get her back.
1. Chapter 1

Act 1

His nose itched with the building pressure of an impending sneeze. This was bothersome, but he didn't have much time to consider it, as he took in a sharp breath and… "Hetschuhh…" another sharp breath- "Grrshhuh!" *sniff*.

The sneeze had shattered any semblance of unconsciousness he had been trying to achieve and he grumbled slightly, keeping his eyes shut while his mind started to open up to the sounds around him. It was the middle of the day, and Jareth was holed up in his chambers in the tall center tower of the castle beyond the goblin city. Outside his doors life went on as usual in the city and the surrounding labyrinth, although there was never anything 'usual' about it. And the ruckus caused by the motley crew of goblins was at an even more annoying pitch thanks to the rumors circulating about their king's prolonged seclusion of late. Quite frankly, Jareth didn't give a damn. The labyrinth, the goblin city, the castle itself, could all go to pieces around him and he wouldn't care (Hell, it almost had! There were still broken bits of staircases littering the ballroom after what Sarah had done).

Jareth opened his eyes reluctantly and sat up on the edge of the bed. He straightened his blowsy white shirt with the pointed collar and cleared his throat, which was beginning to feel like there was a lump forming in it. He reached for his tall leather boots and pulled them on over the ragged bottoms of his tight gray pants. Pausing, he brought a fist up as his nose tingled again. "Heh-RrrshHUH!" *sniff* "Ah, good," he said cynically in his low, sultry voice, "a rotten cold to match my rotten mood." He pulled on a pair of brown leather gloves and clenched his fists tightly.

Outside Jareth could hear Hoggle addressing a crowd of rowdy goblins in the throne room. The little terd was becoming quite the public speaker in his absence. He would have to remember later to give him a stay of execution on that whole 'bog of eternal stench thing'.

"Keep it down, damn you!" Hoggle growled at them all. "He ain't seein' no one, and he ain't been seein' no one! So shut up or we'll all be thrown in an oubliette!"

Jareth smiled to himself at the thought.

"You know how he gets, and he's in a foul mood!" Hoggle continued.

Jareth's smile faded. "Is that so, Hogwart?" He appeared directly behind the stumpy goblin out of thin air and a hush fell over the room.

Hoggle blanched and bowed several times. "Yes, Jareth!- I-I mean NO, Jareth…your majesty! I was just illustratin' to this lot how…how terrifying your wrath can be!"

"It's quite terrifying." Jareth yawned, and walked back towards his chambers. "Hog-breath?" He called without looking back.

"Hoggle." Hoggle corrected.

"Whatever. May I have a word?"

Hoggle stumbled after him quickly (as if he had a choice), and the huge stone doors opened for them of their own accord and closed dramatically behind them.

In the silence of the elaborate room Hoggle fidgeted nervously as he waited for Jareth to address him. The Goblin King paced back and forth, towering over the small goblin, and finally he said, "I've noticed you disappearing from time to time, Hogwart…Where do you go?"

Hoggle thought carefully, and then he stuttered, "I…I've been in all corners of the labyrinth, sire… Keepin' things in order for you."

Jareth ran a gloved finger under his nose as he considered this. His eyes narrowed with the beginnings of another sneeze, but he passed it off as a glare. "Do you imagine, even when I am not paying attention, that I do not know what is taking place in every corner of my labyrinth?"

Hoggle shook his head.

"Good. Then tell me where you really were."

Hoggle shuddered. "Arrghh…I was…*sigh* I was visitin'…Her." He knew better than to say Sarah's name in front of Jareth. She was the whole cause of his sulking. But Jareth crouched down in front of him so they were eye level.

"You were…"

"…visitin'-"

"You were visiting…?"

"…S-Sarah, your majesty."

Jareth said nothing, but stood up and walked to the dresser, grabbed one of his crystals, and threw it hard at the stone floor, where it exploded into a million pieces. Hoggle cringed. Jareth sniffed and walked back over to him, his heeled boots crunching on the broken crystal. "Why on earth would she want to see a little snot like you!?" He demanded.

"Well because we's friends, that's why!" Hoggle retorted, mustering what little courage he had.

Jareth rolled his eyes in disgust. "Ah yes, you're…you're friends…" he paused, mid-sentence, and his face contorted slightly. He made a small grunt of annoyance and brought his gloved hand up again to press one side of his nose shut in an attempt to quell the itch there, but it was no use. The pressure built and his nostrils flared sharply. "Hihh-TSHHhuh!" The force bent him at the waist slightly before he sniffled thickly and regained his composure. Hoggle just stared in surprise, too afraid to bless him and bring attention to the sneeze. But Jareth raised his eyebrows at him. "Well?" he demanded.

"Uh- Bless you, your highness," Hoggle fumbled.

Jareth just nodded and continued his speech. "You're friends, and I sit here alone in my castle! After all that I've done for her!" He sat back on his oversized bed and rubbed his forehead in thought. And also because he was getting a headache.

Hoggle waited for him to speak again, and when he didn't, said, "Well…you did take her brother from her."

"-By her own request!" Jareth interrupted. "He was a brat and a nuisance… would've made a wonderful goblin, though- and a decent heir, had I succeeded." Hoggle was silent now. Jareth hadn't spoken this long to anyone in days unless it had been to give a punishment. Yet how all he had been pondering over was being vented and confided to him. Why was he always so unlucky?

"…But I lost Toby, and Sarah refused to become my queen." He shook his head as if he still couldn't grasp the reason for his failure. There was a silence between them that was broken by another harsh sneeze from Jareth. "Ehh-TSCHhuh!" That one was wetter than the others and his nose was beginning to run. He sniffled, not wanting to wipe it on his gloves. Hoggle dug in his pockets quickly and produced a lacy handkerchief.

"Bless you again, sire…You don't sound so good."

Jareth took the handkerchief with a flourish and blew his nose quickly. "Yes, it's becoming quite obvious, I'm ill," he snapped.

Hoggle shrugged, glad for the change of subject. "Well you ain't been takin' much care o' yerself lately, 'ave you? Ain't even been down to torture the prisoners in days!"

Jareth lay back on his bed with a huff, then sat up again as if he'd gotten an idea. He went to a drawer and brought out a small silver pendant with a swirly design in the center that resembled a labyrinth. "How often do you see Sarah?"

Hoggle looked at him skeptically and shrugged. "Whenever she needs me I guess."

"And you both like jewels, don't you?" The Goblin King prodded. "Next time you see her, give her this." He held the necklace out to Hoggle. It dangled there, glittering in a menacing sort of way.

Hoggle shook his head and backed away. "Oh no- not this time. I ain't givin' her nothing!" And here he plucked up all of his nerve and said, "If you want to talk to her, go do it yourself!" And he ran off through the giant stone doors as fast as his stubby little legs would carry him.

Jareth made a face and shoved the necklace back into the drawer and slammed it shut. He grabbed another round crystal off of the dresser and took it back to the bed. "Show me Sarah," he whispered to it. Smoke formed, and then the face of a happy, dark haired girl appeared in the crystal. Jareth stared at it intently. "Go talk to her myself, eh?" He mumbled, and waved his hand over the crystal, making it go dark. "Maybe I will."


	2. Chapter 2

Act 2:

Sarah kissed her father and step-mother goodnight and lifted her baby brother, Toby from the living room floor where he had been playing. "I'll put him to bed." She offered with a smile as she headed upstairs. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Sarah!" Her step-mother called back. She turned to Sarah's father with a look of pleasant surprise on her face. "I don't know what's changed, but she's been so different these past few days! Look at how she gets along with us now. And with Toby! She's so protective of him!"

Sarah's father just smiled and shrugged. "Maybe she's finally growing up a little."

*******

Sarah placed Toby in his crib and kissed him goodnight, pulling the blanket over him and making sure that her old teddy bear, Lancelot, was snugly in his arms. "Sweet dreams, little goblin." She smiled before turning the lights out and heading for her room. Her step-mother was right about one thing, the past few days had been very different. Sarah no longer took anything in her life for granted. She had loving parents, a sweet baby brother (who seemed not to cry so much now), and she was making new friends at school. After her triumph over the labyrinth everything seemed to fall into place. Something was different now, though she couldn't put her finger on exactly what was different. She had always imagined that she would have to grow up all at once and all her fantasies would be ripped away from her. But now she thought that maybe growing up happened a little bit at a time, like if she wasn't looking, she wouldn't notice it at all.

And as for her adventures in the labyrinth, well she and Toby were the only ones who knew about that, and Toby sure wasn't talking. She sometimes convinced herself that it had all been a strange dream and hadn't happened at all. And she would have believed this too, if it hadn't been for the fact that whenever she felt lonely she could look in the mirror and call Hoggle and her friends from that other world. And there they would be in her room, and they could dance and talk for hours, and remind her that the labyrinth really did exist.

Tonight she was tired, and looking forward to getting out of her jeans and into her pjs, and snuggling into her soft bed. But when she opened the door to her room and the lights didn't work she realized something was wrong. She was about to call for her father to get a new light bulb, when she saw the snowy white owl on her open windowsill and her stomach dropped. "You!"

The owl jumped from the windowsill into the air and flickered and a second later the Goblin King was standing before her. He wore a long white cape with feathers around the collar and a fitted vest over white pants and knee-high white boots. There was a smirk on his handsome face as he said, "Me."

Sarah grabbed her door and shut it quickly, pressing herself back against it. She shook her head, her long dark hair falling around her shoulders, and her deep green eyes locked on his miss matched ones. "What are you doing here?" It didn't seem possible for him to be there. Sure, she still saw the others now and again, but for some reason she hadn't believed that Jareth had the power to come to her again. Her eyes narrowed and she got protective suddenly. "You can't have my brother!"

Jareth put his hand up to silence her. "I'm not here for Toby, Sarah." He flipped his hand over gracefully and a round crystal appeared. He rolled it over in his hand absentmindedly as he spoke. "I only wanted to talk with you."

Sarah looked skeptical. "And get me to give you something?"

"What would I want from you, Sarah?" He gestured around her room, appraising it. Her canopy bed, her stuffed animals, her poster of the rock star, David Bowie. She had nothing of value that he could see. "Dolls? Toys?…I think not." He took a step closer to her and she pressed herself harder against the door.

"What then?" asked Sarah. "I-I thought you were…"

Jareth laughed suddenly at this. "Thought I was what? Dead? You can't kill me, Sarah. You refused me, yes, you escaped my grasp. But I am timeless." He flipped the crystal over in his hands and made it disappear again. "I will always be."

Sarah knit her eyebrows. "I don't understand. You're angry with me then. You want revenge? You want to give me…some gift that will turn into something horrid as soon as you leave?"

At this Jareth got angry and took another step towards her. "Is that what you think of me? Have you ever known me to be a liar? Think before you answer. I can be generous, tricky, cruel…but one thing I am not is a liar!" He sighed then and placed his hands on his hips. "I told you," he said in a softer voice, "I am only hear to talk with you."

Sarah relaxed a little and took a step towards him then. He was right, he had always kept his word to her. In the silence between them she looked him over carefully. He seemed different too. More tired. More sad. She felt a tinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach. "What do you want to talk about?"

It was Jareth's turn to look surprised. He hadn't actually expected her to agree, and was therefore not prepared to talk about anything in particular. "May we sit?" He stalled. Sarah nodded and he sat in an armchair in the corner, spreading his cape out behind him. Then he moved awkwardly and removed a stuffed animal he'd sat on and threw it aside. "Hmph." He sniffled a bit and rubbed his nose. Sarah went to the window and closed it. The wind outside was picking up and it was beginning to rain. She moved to her bed a few feet away from the king of the goblins and stared at him in awe.

Jareth coughed slightly into his fist and clasped his hands in front of him, elbows resting on his knees. He stared at her for a moment and then just decided to come out with it. "Why did you leave me, Sarah? Why did you turn down my offer?"

Sarah blinked. She hadn't expected it to go this way at all. "I had to, can't you understand? You gave me no choice, I had to save Toby."

"But you said yourself that you wanted him out of your life." He sniffed and brought a hand up to rub his nose carelessly. He was doing that a lot, Sarah noticed. "Why would you say the words and then change your mind?"

She sighed, "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Because he's my family, and even though sometimes I don't like him, I'll always love him. Sometimes people say what they don't mean-"

"-That can be very dangerous. I always say what I mean."

"-And sometimes you have to sacrifice what you want for those you love. You would know that if you understood love at all."

Jareth cocked his head to the side and opened his hands, confused. "On the contrary, I understand love very well."

Sarah looked at him sadly. "No, I don't think you do."

Jareth sniffed again and stood up, coming to her. "I love you, Sarah." She bit her lip and leaned back a little. She wasn't sure if she was more excited or afraid. Either way there were butterflies in her stomach. Jareth kneeled down in front of her and took one of her hands in both of his, gloved hands. "Come back with me to the labyrinth. Be my queen." Sarah gulped. Her head was spinning. A few days ago she would have jumped at the offer. "My parents…my brother…" She whispered.

"Forget about them. You said that sometimes you have to sacrifice what you want for those you love. Does that mean that you wanted to accept my offer?"

"Oh…Oh yes…" Sarah whispered breathlessly. "A part of me did very much."

Jareth smiled wickedly and leaned closer to her. "Give in to that part of you, Sarah. Come with me." She felt fuzzy now as she leaned closer to him, staring in his strange eyes, their hands clasped together. "Jareth…" She whispered, saying his name for the first time. It made him shiver. "…are you using your magic?"

"No, Sarah." He reached out and crooked a finger under her chin, raising her face to his. "I'm using yours." Sarah closed her eyes. They were only inches away from each other… Jareth suddenly took his hand away from her and broke the tension between them. He jerked to the side quickly, stifling a sneeze unsuccessfully into his fist. "Hiiih-GrrsHH!" Sarah blinked. The Goblin King sniffled quickly and she thought she heard him growl deep in his throat in aggravation.

"Are you sick?"

"I'm sorry, no, I'm fine." He pulled a lacy handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at his nose which was beginning to look a little pink at the edges. He stood up and backed away from her, sneezing again into the cloth. "Hehh-Rrrshhuh!"

"Bless you!"

"Forgive me, Sarah." He sighed and put the handkerchief away. "Come. I will take you to my castle and we can…continue our conversation."

"I can't." Sarah said resolutely, standing up.

"What do you mean, you can't!" He demanded, and began to pace the small area in front of her window. "You cannot obey me in this one thing? I can bring your brother too! I can make him my heir! I can make you my Queen, Sarah!"

Sarah put her hands on her hips angrily. "I knew it! I knew you didn't understand."

Jareth turned and grabbed her harshly by the shoulders. "I love you." He insisted.

"You want to possess me! And more so because you can't have me and it's killing you!" Jareth looked stricken. "Leave now, Jareth, and don't come back. We have nothing else to talk about." She tried to push him off of her, but she was pushing at smoke and thin air, and there was again an owl flapping its wings in front of her. The window was open somehow, and in a fury the owl was gone, soaring above the houses in the rain.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This is the last chapter and I wanted to thank you all for reading/reviewing! I also wanted to warn everyone that the rating on this last chapter is bumped up only SLIGHTLY because of some stronger language and suggestiveness later on. It's nothing major, but because this takes place only about a month after the movie and Sarah is still technically under age, I didn't want to offend anyone. Hopefully I will write another Labyrinth fic…when she's a bit older ;) Enjoy!

Act 3:

The storm was raging by the time the owl arrived back at the castle. Rain pelted the stone balcony and lightning struck down from the dark clouds. With a great swoop of wings and cape Jareth transformed, his boot touching down gracefully on the edge of the balcony as he made a flawless transition between flight and stride. He sneezed harshly into his fist without breaking his momentum. "HerrRSshh!" The sound was barely audible over the noise of the wind that whipped his hair and cape around him.

Inside, the throne room was a wash of warm light and goblin voices. They were arguing, fighting, even gambling in the corner or sharpening weapons. Most of them, though (including Hoggle) were just getting as drunk as they could. Jareth sighed as he stepped through the balcony doors. He was surrounded by miscreants. He shivered like a big dog, shaking droplets of water from his hair and clothes. He was soaked.

"RrrshHuh!" He sneezed again.

"Bless you, your majesty!" The goblins chorused.

Jareth ignored them and headed for his chambers. He felt miserable both in mind and body, and he wanted to lock himself away and brood. A few steps across the room and he stopped short, his breath hitching. "Heh…Ehh-TSCHuhh!"

"Bless you, your majesty."

He rubbed a finger under his nose and took in another shaky breath. "Hehhh-UTSCHH!" *sniff* He continued walking to his room as the goblins shouted another, "Bless you, your majesty."

"Oh, shut up!" Jareth snapped, and kicked the nearest goblin in his path, sending the poor creature flying into a corner. He flicked a hand at the huge stone doors and they opened for him easily.

Once alone, the Goblin King gave an exhausted sigh. He undid the tie of his cape, letting the heavy wet cloth fall to the floor in a heap, and went to the wardrobe to find some dry clothes. He was half dressed when he realized he was shivering. "Damn it all to hell," he groaned, raising a shaky hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. This was not how he'd pictured things going. Just then there was a knock on his door. He shot a glare in the direction of the sound without shifting his position. Maybe if he ignored it, it would go away.

*Bang-Bang-Bang*

No such luck. He waved his hand lazily at the door. Nothing happened. His head shot up to stare at the doors with an arched eyebrow. …What the fuck? He concentrated and waved his hand a second time.

Nothing.

This was the last straw. He threw down the shirt he'd been about to put on and stalked across his room to the doors, a frustrated growl of rage escaping his lips as he went.

Hoggle jumped back when the heavy doors were pried open, nearly dropping the tray of food and wine he'd been holding. "Uhh…" He just stared for a moment at the imposing figure before him.

"Well? Speak!" Jareth demanded. His voice was a low rasp with a hint of congestion to it, but frightening none the less.

"I- I just- Yer dinner's ready for you, and I thought you could use it," Hoggle explained. Jareth let his hands drop from the doors in defeat and walked back into his room with Hoggle following. The little runt was going to be nice to him. Damn. "I am not hungry," he said.

Hoggle set the tray on the table anyways and watched Jareth curiously as he dried his spiky hair with one of his shirts, then tossed it to the floor with the others.

"If there is nothing else…" Jareth said impatiently, "I desire to be alone." He was starting to feel like he had a temperature, which was very curious, and the fact that he couldn't open the doors with his magic bothered him more than anything.

Hoggle hiccupped and swayed ever so slightly where he stood. The Faery Folk are almost immune to the effects of alcohol, so the fact that Hoggle was even a little bit drunk was a true testament to how hard he'd been trying. It may have explained his courage as well.

"I was just wondering," he said, "If you'd gone to see Sarah just now."

Jareth cocked his head to the side and stared at Hoggle in disbelief. "…You know, Hogwart, for someone so small, you have a lot of balls."

That silenced him.

"Yes. I went to see Sarah," he admitted, "That child had the nerve to lecture me about love! How dare she presume to tell me-" He had begun to yell, which triggered a sudden fit of coughing. His muscles tensed, even more visibly for the fact that he still wasn't wearing a shirt. All he had on were his worn gray pants, and his bare feet on the stones made him shiver again. When he finally managed to regain composure Hoggle was still staring at him timidly. He'd never seen Jareth like this before and was surprised to discover that he was actually feeling sorry for him.

"…Well what're ya listenin' to her for? She's just a girl," he said in an attempt to console him.

Jareth waved a hand at him. "Yes, yes."

"Why don't you lay down, and I'll have someone bring you a nice warm glass of mead, eh?"

As much as Jareth wanted to protest he was simply too tired, and climbed into bed as Hoggle had suggested. "Uhh…Uh-TSCHH!" He shuddered with the force of another wet sneeze and Hoggle handed him a handkerchief again. Jareth snatched it from him and glared at him through watery eyes.

"If I didn't know you better, Hoggle, I'd say you were pitying me."

Hoggle looked at him nervously and backed up. "Me! Pity you? No, Jareth!"

"No one pities me, Hogwart," he growled, "Now get out of my site!" Hoggle didn't need to be told twice. He ran out of the room as Jareth called, "-And close the damn doors behind you!"

* * *

Hoggle hurried down the steps of the tower on his way out of the castle. Ok, so maybe he didn't feel sorry for Jareth. Why did he always have to be such a jerk anyways? But Hoggle was already beginning to sober up, and there was another reason he wanted to help the Goblin King. A selfish reason. Because as long as Jareth was miserable, so too would be everyone else. Especially him.

* * *

After Hoggle left Jareth held his head in his hands. He knew he shouldn't have snapped like that. Damn troll was only trying to help. But somewhere deep inside him he couldn't bring himself to feel guilty about it. When it came down to it he loved to see the look of fear in the eyes of his subjects. And that, he thought, was what Sarah was talking about. That was why she had refused him not once, but twice.

"What does she expect me to do, beg?" He wondered aloud. He shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? That couldn't be the reason. Absolutely foolish girl. "This fever is making me delusional." He sighed and looked about for something to take his mind off of Sarah. One of his crystals lay on the table a few feet away from him and he reached out his hand and called it to him. As with the doors, nothing happened. "Hhnn," he grumbled. Very curious indeed. After several more tries he managed only to get it to raise a few feet in the air like a bubble before it fell like a stone and rolled under the bed.

"Well, bollocks." He rolled his eyes and turned over to hide his face in the pillow and sleep.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when he awoke next, his forehead laced with a cold sweat. Something wasn't right. The storm was still going strong outside, and the clock on the wall was chiming thirteen. Lightning struck near the window, casting strange shadows around the room. Jareth lifted himself on one arm into a half-sitting position, the muscles in his back tensing slightly at the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching him.

As the last note resonated ominously from the clock a breeze blew through the room, swaying the tattered black curtains that hung high above his bed. It was soft and intoxicating, and reeked of magic, and it made him immediately turn his head towards the doors of his room.

There was a figure standing in the arch of the open doorway, a woman wearing a white ball gown dripping with silver accents. Her dark hair was piled high on her head and her face was half covered by a white masquerade mask. In the darkness she seemed to glow and shimmer, but the edges were blurred as if in a dream.

"Sarah?" Jareth's deep voice echoed through the silence. "Is it really you?" He could not believe that an enchantment this powerful could have been played on him, no matter how sick he was, but at the same time he was afraid to get his hopes up.

The figure inclined her head gracefully in a nod. "Yes, I'm here."

Jareth turned completely around now so he could face her, and was about to get out of bed and go to her when she put up a hand to stop him. "Please, don't get up." She walked a little closer to him and the glow around her faded a little as she came into focus. Jareth obeyed her, but looked skeptical.

"Why did you come?"

She gave a small shrug. "Hoggle. He…said you needed me. …And I guess I need you too."

Well. Point for Hoggle.

Jareth raised a brow. "You're staying then?"

"No. It's only for one night," she said softly, "But you have to promise to let me go home tomorrow."

Jareth was silent for a moment then nodded. "I give you my word."

Sarah held her hand out to him, slightly unsure, and went to the empty side of his bed. He leaned over and took her hand in his, his lips pressed softly against the white satin gloves that she wore. Without releasing her hand he guided her onto the bed, her gown billowing around her, and kissed further up her wrist, pausing when he got to the diamond bracelet she was wearing. He rolled his strange eyes up at her as he unclasped the bracelet and threw it to the floor. Sarah's eyes stared at him through the mask. She had never been with a man like this, and he certainly was a man in every sense of the word. Nothing like the boys she knew. Her eyes flowed over his perfect, shirtless body and came back to lock on those piercing miss matched eyes again. He captivated her completely.

As Jareth kissed slowly up the line of her arm she leaned into him till they were laying side by side. They simply stared at each other for a long moment. Jareth made no attempt to remove her mask.

"This is your room," Sarah stated obviously.

"Yes. …Do you like it?"

"It's bizarre," she said, not really answering his question.

Jareth just shrugged. "I would change it for you, but my powers seem to… escape me at the moment," he admitted grudgingly.

"Is that true?…Because you're not feeling well?"

He shrugged again. Maybe he shouldn't have told her that. "I suppose that's it."

Sarah took her hand from his and removed her glove. She placed the back of her hand to his forehead and gasped softly. "You have a fever."

"Yes, I know." He sniffled softly. "I have not been this sick in a long time."

Sarah suddenly felt self conscious. She furrowed her brows beneath the mask. "Exactly how old are you, Jareth?"

He was quiet for a moment and then a laugh escaped his throat, startling her a bit. "Truthfully?" He said, "I do not remember. …But it has been a long time." He sniffled again, and turned from her to grab the handkerchief from the bedside table. Sarah watched as he tensed, his profile contorting slightly, and sneezed into it. "Uh'TSCHUH! *sniff* 'scuse be," He apologized thickly. Sarah reached her ungloved hand out to brush a strand of hair from his face. He caught her and turned so that she was spooned behind him with her arm draped over him.

"I wish that you would stay," he whispered.

She licked her lips nervously and let her hand run gently over the smooth skin of his chest. "You know I can't do that."

"I do love you, you know," he insisted.

Sarah sighed. "You love yourself, Goblin King."

"I could learn to love." He looked up at her. "You could teach me."

She shook her head and laughed softly at this. "Well," she smiled, "I guess that's a start."

Jareth flashed her a crooked smile before turning back to his handkerchief and shuddering against her as he sneezed again. "Uhh-KrrRSHH!"

"Bless you," Sarah whispered. She reached her hand up and brushed her fingers lightly across his forehead. "Now shut up and get some sleep. You need rest." Maybe the mask made her brave, but she was no longer afraid of him. She thought she heard him chuckle softly, deep in his throat.

Jareth closed his eyes and let himself relax against her. He drifted off to sleep with the soft brush of her lips lingering against his temple.

~End~


End file.
